Los Angeles Angels Albert Pujols watches his three-run homer, against Washington Nationals starting pitcher Taylor Jordan, clear the fence during the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, April 22, 2014. This was Pujols 499th home run of his career.

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 22: Albert Pujols #5 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hits a two-run home run against the Washington Nationals in the fifth inning at Nationals Park on April 22, 2014 in Washington, DC. The home run home was Albert Pujols' 500th.

The Los Angeles Angels’ first baseman hit a pair of shots off Washington Nationals right-hander Taylor Jordan on Tuesday night — a three-run homer in the first inning and two-run drive in the fifth — to become the 26th player in major-league history to reach the milestone.

Pujols is the first player to collect his 499th and 500th homers in the same game. About three months past his 34th birthday, he’s also the third-youngest to get to 500. Alex Rodriguez and Jimmie Foxx both were 32.

Making a quick recent surge, Pujols has eight homers this season, all in the past 13 games.

“It tastes better with a win,” Pujols said. “I knew this year, it was going to happen, whether it was tonight, tomorrow, two months from now. So my goal was just to prepare myself every day to try to help this organization win.”

The 500th homer went to left-center field at Nationals Park, on an 89 mph pitch with the count at 1-2. Pujols clapped his hands together a few strides before trotting home, then pointed both index fingers to the sky. As soon as he touched the plate, Pujols was greeted by his Angels teammates, who streamed over from the visiting dugout.

“I was pretty emotional running the bases,” Pujols said.

After a couple of down-for-him years with the Angels following 11 transcendent seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, a healthier Pujols appears ready to reclaim his spot among the game’s elite hitters.

Of the 26 members of the 500-homer club, 11 have reached the mark in the last 15 years.

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